Startup launches tampon-based STI test

Femtech startup Daye, who previously launched a digital period pain clinic and at-home microbiome testing, has now released a tampon-based STI screening kit.

At-home STI tests aren't new, but Daye's "repurposing" of a tampon into a testing device is novel. And there's a clear need for more testing: From 2021 to 2022 there was a 24 percent increase in STI diagnoses in the UK — and over half of Brits admit they've never had a sexual health check. Left untreated, some STIs can impact fertility and increase your risk of certain cancers, among other health concerns.

Daye's STI screening kit uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies to test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, mycoplasma, and ureaplasma. The test can detect trace amount of genetic material from pathogens (organisms that carry disease), according to the press release, and can detect multiple pathogens with a single sample.

Daye claims that the specificity of PCRs leads to fewer false positives and a more reliable diagnosis. Further, the company says that the diagnostic tampon collects more vaginal fluid and covers more surface area than a typical swab, so it can gather a better sample.

The STI screening kit underwent clinical trials with 600 patients. "The samples will be analysed in a UKAS-accredited lab, following CQC-approved screening methodologies using a PCR-based, CE marked diagnostic assay. The Daye Diagnostic Kit is registered with the MHRA," the press release stated.

Going to get tested at a clinic can be an uncomfortable experience. Depending on where you live and health insurance policies, it can also be cost-prohibitive. In the UK, however, many sexual health services offer free STI self-sampling kits according to the UK Health Security Agency.

As if now, Daye's STI screening kit is only available in the UK for £99 (or £129 for a combination with the microbiome kit). The website claims that the kits are coming to the U.S. and EU soon.

"I love this innovative approach to improving access to healthcare," board-certified OBGYN and fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), Dr. Cynthia Wesley, told Mashable.

"We look forward to published data on the efficacy, accuracy, safety, and acceptability of these types of products. STI rates are only increasing, so additional ways to screen could be beneficial. It is also important that people receiving positive results from at-home tests can quickly be connected with a clinician for appropriate treatment," ACOG told Mashable.

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"Despite living in a world where over a million people get an STI every day, STI testing has chronically low rates post COVID-19, and as a result, many women and AFAB [assigned female at birth] individuals could have an infection unknowingly because they have no symptoms," said Daye founder Valentina Milanova in the press release.

"Our STI Diagnostic Tampon makes STI testing extremely easy, comfortable and discrete," Milanova continued.
"We hope our approach will end the 'STIgma,' revolutionise STI testing and lead to a dramatic uptick in the number of women getting checked, helping them protect their long-term health and fertility."

UPDATE: Nov. 8, 2023, 11:25 a.m. EST This article has been updated with comment from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.